Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
For film franchises, the second go-round tends to be a minefield of expectations: can it be as good or better than the first film? The answer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the follow-up to the highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy, is...sort of.
The opening sequence is a blast, an auspicious beginning that perfectly encapsulates the irreverence, bonhomie, virtuosic razzle dazzle, and soundtrack-driven action that made the first film so irresistible. The Guardians have been tasked to destroy a tentacled space monster, but that action is mere background to the adorable sight of Baby Groot dancing around to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky." The sprout is lost in his own bliss as the mayhem swirls around and behind him - for the Guardians, fun reigns above all and, by attempting to deepen the characters and their back stories, Vol. 2 ends up falling just short.
"My name is Ego, and I'm your dad." So announces Kurt Russell to Chris Pratt's wisecracking marauder Peter Quill, and thus Vol. 2 establishes its intent to make its tale mostly about Peter's daddy issues. On the one hand, few can begrudge Gunn this narrative strand especially since Russell is an always welcome presence and one believes the familial rapport between him and Pratt, whose Peter is initially wary of finally meeting the father he has wished for for so long. On the other hand, this exploration of Peter's origin story bogs down the film instead of raising the emotional stakes.
More successfully wrought is the dynamic between green-skinned badass Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and her cyborg sister Nebula (Karen Gillan). The latter, every bit as fierce as her sister in battle and temperament, has been bitterly stoking the fires of jealousy over their father Thanos' not-so-hidden preference for Gamora. Their physical and emotional confrontation is one of the highlights of Vol. 2. Another highlight is the expanded role of Drax, winningly played by wrestler Dave Bautista, whose literal-mindedness makes for consistent comic relief. His dealings with Ego's empath, Mantis (Pom Klementieff), are both funny and endearing and are executed with a lighter touch than the push-and-pull romance between Peter and Gamora.
The whole affair is meticulously staged. There are shootouts and showdowns galore, plenty of emotional strings are plucked and pulled, and laughs are plentiful. There's no denying that Vol. 2 is a highly enjoyable ride, but there is a nagging sense that this has all been done before and better. The Guardians will be back - presumably with increased roles for Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh and Ving Rhames, all of whom make cameo appearances here, and possibly for Elizabeth Debicki, who makes a striking impression as the gold-skinned Ayesha - and one can only hope for a return to the original's rambunctious spirit.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
Directed by: James Gunn
Written by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames
